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Supreme Court to Hear Plea on Airfare Controls
The Supreme Court will consider a request to make air ticket prices more predictable.
The request also covers extra fees charged by private airlines.
The petitioner says passengers can face very high fares and hidden charges.
The petition also objects to reducing free economy-class check-in baggage from 25 kilograms to 15 kilograms.
The petitioner wants an independent regulator to protect air travellers.
The Centre says it is quickly preparing new aviation rules.
Those rules are being prepared under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024.
The court has asked to see the draft rules.
It has also criticised very large fare increases during festivals.
The court will consider the matter along with the government’s response.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on September 7 a plea seeking guidelines to regulate unpredictable airfares and ancillary charges in India.
The petition seeks an independent regulator, greater transparency and stronger passenger protection across civil aviation.
The Centre told the court that rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, were being fast-tracked and would be finalised within three weeks.
The petitioner alleges that airlines have raised fares, imposed hidden charges and reduced free economy-class check-in baggage from 25 kg to 15 kg.
The court has previously called sharp festival-period fare increases exploitation and asked the Centre to provide relief to flyers.
- Who
- Social activist S Laxminarayanan filed the plea against the Centre and other authorities; the case is before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
- What
- The Supreme Court will hear a request for regulatory guidelines to control unpredictable airfares and ancillary airline charges.
- Where
- The matter is before the Supreme Court of India and concerns private airlines operating in India.
- When
- The hearing is scheduled for September 7; the articles do not specify the year.
- Why
- The petitioner alleges that passengers face exorbitant and unpredictable fares, hidden charges and reduced baggage benefits without effective authority to review or cap them.
Passenger protection advocates
Government regulatory response
Need for immediate fare controls
Passenger protection advocates
The petitioner argues that unpredictable fares and ancillary charges require robust, independent regulation because current authorities cannot review or cap them effectively.
Government regulatory response
The Centre has said it is preparing and fast-tracking rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, with finalisation expected within three weeks.
Airline charges and baggage
Passenger protection advocates
The plea alleges that airlines impose hidden charges and reduced free baggage allowances, turning previously included services into new revenue streams.
Government regulatory response
The articles do not report a specific airline response, but the government’s proposed rules are intended to provide the regulatory framework being considered by the court.
Key facts
- Scheduled hearing
- September 7 before Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
- Petitioner
- Social activist S Laxminarayanan
- Requested action
- Guidelines to regulate airfares and ancillary charges, plus an independent regulator
- Government response
- The Centre said rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, were being fast-tracked
- Draft rules
- The Centre placed them before the court in a sealed cover
- Baggage allegation
- The plea says free economy-class check-in baggage was reduced from 25 kg to 15 kg
- Court’s earlier observation
- The court called sharp festival-period fare increases exploitation and sought relief for flyers
Sources
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